Pastor Leslie Chua

Contrary to the commonly held view, this passage does not refer to the judgement of the individuals to separate between believers and unbelievers. Instead, it concerns the judgement of the nations. It is obvious from Jesus’ own words – "All the nations will be gathered before Him” (Matthew 25:32).

When you read the entire passage (Matthew 25:31-46), you will notice that the focus of this judgement is on good works as a basis for inheriting the Kingdom of God. It contradicts the gospel truth of salvation by the grace of God although a case can be made that good works are the evidence of one’s salvation. But that would be unnecessarily complicating a simple and literal understanding of the passage.

Besides, there is no judgement mentioned in the Bible where both the saved and unsaved will appear together before Christ the Judge.

Believers will appear before Jesus at the Judgement Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) whereas unbelievers will appear before Him at the Great White Throne Judgement (Revelation 20:11-15). These are separate events.

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Besides, there is no judgement mentioned in the Bible where both the saved and unsaved will appear together before Christ the Judge.  
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So, according to the text, all the nations on the earth will be gathered before Christ the King for judgement. This event will take place after Jesus’ Second Coming and before the Millennial reign of Christ on earth. This is a judgement to determine which nations will be allowed to enter into Christ’s Millennial Kingdom.


The Judgement of the Nations

Now, with the theological obstacles cleared out of the way, let us take a closer look at the separation of the sheep and goats and consider its meaning.

This passage is not a parable. It is a warning to the nations using the analogy of sheep and goats.

Sheep are obedient animals. They recognise the voice of their shepherd and follow him. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). But goats are completely different. They do not recognise the shepherd’s voice and follow him. They are hard to control.

In Jesus’ time, sheep and goats were herded together during the day. But the shepherds would separate them in the night. Jesus used this imagery of the separation of sheep and goats to illustrate His final warning in the Olivet Discourse.

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Finally, in this fourth warning, Jesus warned that nations would be judged on the basis of how they treat “one of the least of these my brothers” (Matthew 25:40).
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After teaching His disciples concerning the events of His Second Coming, Jesus gave four warnings. First, Jesus warned believers to be faithful and wise in their Christian service (Matthew 24:45-51). Second, the Lord warned the church to be watchful, prepared, and ready for His return in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). Third, He warned us to deploy our talents, spiritual gifts, and resources and the opportunities given to us to serve Him in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

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Who are Jesus’ brothers? They are the Jewish people.
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Finally, in this fourth warning, Jesus warned that nations would be judged on the basis of how they treat “one of the least of these my brothers” (Matthew 25:40).

Who are Jesus’ brothers? They are the Jewish people. Let me give you two reasons briefly.

First, Jesus’ Jewish brothers must be distinguished from the nations that are being judged. The Greek word for nations is “ethnos,” which means people groups or ethnic groups. “Ethnos” can also mean Gentiles. In the context here, both meanings apply. God will judge all the Gentile nations for the way they had treated Israel and the Jews.

Second, this fourth warning is unique to the Gospel of Matthew. It cannot be found in the other synoptic Gospels. As most people know, Matthew’s Gospel is written primarily for the Jews. So, the phrase, “one of the least of these my brothers” refers to the Jewish people.


The Setting in Joel’s Prophecy

I said earlier that the judgement of the nations is not mentioned anywhere in the New Testament Scripture except in Matthew chapter 25. But Jesus did not speak in a vacuum. The context can be found in Joel’s prophecy.

Joel 3:1-3 (ESV) - For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.

This prophecy describes the judgement of the nations. God will gather these nations and bring them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat to judge them.

The Valley of Jehoshaphat lies to the east of Jerusalem, between the city and the Mount of Olives. Jehoshaphat means “the LORD is judge.”  

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God will judge these nations based on how they have treated Israel. God will lay two charges against these nations. First, they scattered His chosen people. Second, they divided the land of Israel. They treated the Jewish people terribly like the scum of the earth, stripping them of their basic dignity and rights.
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How will God judge these nations?

The setting is not a courtroom. Instead, it is a warzone. This is part of a series of battles that is commonly known as the Battle of Armageddon. God will arise as the Judge and destroy these goat nations for invading Israel. The armies of these nations will be totally annihilated.

Why does God judge these nations? What is the basis of the judgement?

God will judge these nations based on how they have treated Israel. God will lay two charges against these nations. First, they scattered His chosen people. Second, they divided the land of Israel. They treated the Jewish people terribly like the scum of the earth, stripping them of their basic dignity and rights.


The Nations Persecute & Scatter the Jews

The first mass scattering occurred in 722 B.C. when the Assyrians destroyed Israel and scattered the Israelites to the nations. Then, in 605 B.C., 597 B.C., and 586 B.C., the Babylonians conquered Judah and exiled the Jews to Babylon.

Some Jews returned to Israel seventy years later. But most of them remained in their adopted countries.

After the Bar Kokhba revolt in A.D. 135, the Romans expelled all the Jews from the land of Israel.

Since then, until the rebirth of Israel in 1948, the Jews lived in diaspora in more than a hundred nations. They were constantly harassed, persecuted and subjected to pogroms. They were also expelled en masse from several countries such as England in 1290, France in 1306 and 1394 and Spain and Portugal in 1492-1497.

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The hatred against Israel and the Jewish people will continue to rise reaching a climax during the last three and a half years of the 7-year Tribulation. Many nations will join hands with the Antichrist to invade Israel. As a result, millions of Jews will be killed.
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In the first few decades of the last century alone, there were more than a thousand organised massacres of the Jewish people in Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. It culminated with the Holocaust where six million Jews were systematically rounded up and murdered.

Antisemitism is on the rise again in recent years. Instead of sympathy, antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment go rampant following the 6 October Hamas terrorists’ brutal murder of more than 1,200 Israeli civilians.

The hatred against Israel and the Jewish people will continue to rise reaching a climax during the last three and a half years of the 7-year Tribulation. Many nations will join hands with the Antichrist to invade Israel. As a result, millions of Jews will be killed.

God remembers the sins of the nations against His chosen people. These nations will be judged severely.


The Nations Divide the Land of Israel

The second reason for God’s judgement on the nations is they “have divided up my land” (Joel 3:2).

The land of Israel belongs to God, and God has given it to the Jewish people by an everlasting covenant for an everlasting possession (Psalm 105:8-11). No one and no nation can take it away from them.

The modern language for dividing the land is partition. The nations are always trying to partition the land of Israel.

In 1920, the League of Nations, which is the predecessor of the United Nations, assigned a mandate to Great Britain to give Palestine on both sides of the Jordan River to Israel as their national homeland.

But in 1922, Winston Churchill, then the Secretary of State for the Colonies, by the stroke of a pen, signed away the land east of the Jordan River to the Arabs. This territory was known as Transjordan, which is the country of Jordan today. That is 76% of Palestine. No Jews were permitted to live in Transjordan.

Then, in 1947, the United Nations partitioned the remaining land west of the Jordan River and gave about half of it to the Jews and the other half to the Arabs.

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Today, the nations of the world continue to put pressure on Israel to give up these conquered territories and push for a two-state solution with the Palestinians.
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Israel’s share of the land kept shrinking.

The Jews reluctantly accepted the United Nations Partition Plan. But the surrounding Arab states rejected it. A day after Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, they attacked Israel but lost the war.

In the famous Sixth Day War in 1967, Israel defeated the surrounding Arab states and gained territories four times its size, including the West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights and East Jerusalem.

Today, the nations of the world continue to put pressure on Israel to give up these conquered territories and push for a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

I can understand why the world leaders are calling for a two-state solution. From a human standpoint, it is the most logical step to take to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

However, most people do not know that the Palestinian leadership in the last three decades has repeatedly refused to accept a two-state solution. Their goal is the elimination of Israel.

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Honestly, the problem cannot be resolved and will not be resolved until the return of Christ. Meanwhile, the world, from the United Nations to the smallest nations, will keep calling for a two-state solution, which essentially means dividing the land of Israel that God has given to the Jews as an everlasting possession.
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Most people are now familiar with the call by the Arabs -- “from the river to the sea.” But they do not know its meaning. It is not an aspirational call for freedom, human rights and peaceful coexistence of the Palestinians with Israel. On the contrary, it is a call to free the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea from Jewish occupation. Essentially, it is a call to eliminate the state of Israel.

Honestly, the problem cannot be resolved and will not be resolved until the return of Christ. Meanwhile, the world, from the United Nations to the smallest nations, will keep calling for a two-state solution, which essentially means dividing the land of Israel that God has given to the Jews as an everlasting possession.

According to Joel’s prophecy, God will judge these nations by bringing them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat and destroying them there.


Separating the Sheep & Goats

Back to the Matthew 25 passage, God will judge the nations by separating them like sheep and goats.

The sheep nations are those that had treated Israel and the Jews well. Jesus will say to these nations – “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matthew 25:35-36).

Whereas the goat nations are those that had scattered and divided the land of Israel. Jesus will say to these nations - “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me” (Matthew 25:41-43).

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The big idea here is which nations will be included and excluded from the 1,000-year earthly Kingdom of Christ. It depends on their treatment of Israel and the Jews. The goat nations will be destroyed while the sheep nations will be admitted to the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.
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Jesus will respond to the sheep and goat nations according to how they had treated the Jewish people.

The big idea here is which nations will be included and excluded from the 1,000-year earthly Kingdom of Christ. It depends on their treatment of Israel and the Jews. The goat nations will be destroyed while the sheep nations will be admitted to the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.

Let me end this reflection by saying this. While the separation of the sheep and goats is an analogy of how God will judge the nations, the same principle applies to individuals, including Christians. God takes our attitude and posture toward Israel and His chosen people very seriously.

As I said earlier, I am observing a rampant increase in antisemitism and anti-Israel attitudes among Christians lately. Be very careful. You do not want to get on the wrong side of this matter.